Networking, follow- ups and emails.

Through a gig in the bar I work at, I got in contact with
a couple of people who seemed like the knew their stuff
with regards to Hip- Hop, bookings & event management.

I got some numbers, spoke to a couple of people- I 
explained the whole concept of Elements and what it is
exactly that we want to achieve. 

A few days later I received a text from one of the people
I was speaking to, outlining his interest in the project
- hoping to be involved in some way.  Dialogue is as 
follows:


We're currently waiting back on an email to get an idea 
of how much involvement he wants within the project.

Me & Yaf are heavily hoping that this contact wants
to take on a large role within the project.  We are both 
quickly realising how much work this whole event will
take, and that it will almost be the death of us if we don't
get some experienced aid.

MEETINGS - economical thinking.

Today I set up a meeting with a nice lady from Footprint
Riso printers in Leeds for Wednesday the 7th November 
late afternoon.  This is a good thing.

Me and Yaf need to make sure we have some preliminary 
designs ready to take so we can get a better understanding
of what we can do with risoprinting, and they can get an
idea of what we're trying to achieve.

                                                 
                                                                    ALL GOOD THINGS.

Crit, 25th

I had a lot of issues I needed clearing up from this crit.

Most of my questions were answered but I was still
left feeling so uncertain.

- I don't know where it's come from or how i'm going
to shake it but I need to get rid of this negative air
surrounding my practice.  I can't help but feel i've 
become shite.  When I know I definitely am not.
A loss of self confidence.

So here is the feedback I got from the questions I
had initially posed to the group:

It was reassuring to know that whoever was critting my 
work had confidence in my abilities & the level of work I 
was producing.  However, this reassurance didn't last long.  
I need to seriously think about what I need to do to sort this.

What i've learned, 'Jukebox'.

From these short bursts of live briefs I am learning how
difficult it is to know how to ask the right questions.
I'm also learning how important it is to ask them quickly.
When you aren't sure what the client wants you need to
find out as soon as possible, especially when you're not 
getting paid- it is distracting me from my graded work.


update:
- that was possible the worst experience with a client I 
have ever had.  It can't be solely their fault so I need to
accept some of the responsibility that it was partially
my fault that it didn't run so smoothly.  I didn't understand
what they were about.  Or what they wanted at all.
I tried to get information out of them but it was futile.
They had an image of what they wanted in their head and 
were not budging.

Got to take some action.

It has come to light that I have no clue of what the creators 

of SPUR want me to do with regards to designing for them.

Initially I was asked to do the branding, layout & identity 

for the magazine, but over time, someone else has designed

the logo and there have been some designs put forward

with regards to posters for the launch night.

All of this has meant serious visual inconsistencies that I 

thought were perhaps beyond my control.  However, 

last night I put it to the founder that we should have a 

meeting to delegate specific roles, and not leave until we

all have complete clarity. 

The problem here is that we are all learning.  No one i'm

working with has ever created a magazine before.  

Especially from nothing.  I haven't either, however,

I have more experience and insight into this side of things.

I've already learned that I need to be much more 

forceful in my approach to pitching ideas.  So today my

plan is to be nothing but.  This meeting will definitely

be successful.

Below is a list of issues I plan on bringing up.  It will

be accompanied by concise folder of visual aid to

avoid confusion, further illustrate my argument.

One to one; Andy.

From my one to one tutorial with Andy i've realised 
that I have been productive with all of my briefs, 
however, at times I have become lost in what it is 
exactly I am supposed to be fulfilling.

For example: 

The brief above is one of my four negotiated briefs.  It 
is an independent publication with a focus on creatives 
within Leeds.  I have come up with a tone that reflects 
what the client wants, they are happy with it.  
However, I have no content, no further concept as I
only know as much as I have been told, and therefore 
cannot progress.  I've now learned that I need to ask the 
the right questions, i.e. a rough table of contents; whether 
they are image or type focused etc.
- i've already requested this information. 
This has highlighted to me that I am inexperienced working
with real clients- i know now to extract as much information 
as possible and think about questions that will help me.

 

Elements.

Elements, final draft. 

This is it.  And I like it.

PPD, 9th Oct.

What I didn't know before the break:
- I am more resilient than I thought.
- Much more independent than before.
- Driven
- Directed:  I know exactly what I want to do.
- I didn't know I could do it.  Now i'm certain I can.

What I'd address differently now against over the summer:
- Create a solid plan of action.
- Knock on studio doors, rather than wait for a reply for forever.
- Get a better job quicker.
- Eat healthier / more consciously.
- Travel.




Things I will address this semester:
- Daily action plan written before bed and amended before leaving in the morning.
- Weekly overall plan completed on Sundays.
- Water: stay hydrated!  - more important than it sounds.
- Sleep.
- Outside design work that isn't necessarily graded.  Keeps things fresh.

Things I feel could be addressed as a group:
- Action plans.  How everyone approaches workload differently.
- Where everyone is at: professionally, and how they got there.
-




Things I feel haven't been looked at in PPD that I want to:

Spur, client meeting one

Chosen layout tone.

Blue Mondays, Flyer for 'The Wardrobe', Leeds.

A  'brief '  brief.

'The Wardrobe' bar & restaurant and live music venue
in Leeds asked me to have a go at designing a flyer for 
their 'Blues, Beers & Burgers' night on Mondays.  The 
turnaround had to be pretty sharpish so I gave myself a 
day to come up with the designs for the flyer.
The process goes as follows:
I already know a lot about my client so felt minimum 
research on what they're all about was necessary.  The
focus is on the music, however, they are trying to 
promote their restaurant to different audiences, in this 
instance (specifically) Leeds College of Music.  The 
students study just across the road from the venue so
are a perfect fit.  Essentially, it's a typically student 
offer with a twist of culture.
A 'Blues Burger.'  - tasty tunes.

From my wants & needs analysis at the beginning of
this year I found that I wanted to address my own 
working practice of image and type together.  Given
the audience, I felt that they would respond most 
successfully to heavy imagery and as little typog-
raphical information as possible.

Negotiated Briefs

These will be the four main briefs I will be focusing 
on the follow up to Christmas.  I have thought hard 
about what kind of project it will be; what I will get 
out of it; and what it the products would look like in 
my portfolio and I feel I have chosen the four that are 
most suited to my needs and wants.